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Florida juror jailed for oversleeping and missing trial | Florida juror jailed for oversleeping and missing trial |
(about 7 hours later) | |
A Florida juror has been sentenced to 10 days in prison after he overslept and missed the start of a court case. | |
Deandre Somerville, 21, of West Palm Beach, was chosen to serve on a jury in August. | |
But on the first day of the trial he overslept by at least two hours and failed to notify the court. | |
Judge John Kastrenakes held him in criminal contempt, also imposing 150 hours' community service and a $223 (£180) fine as well as the jail term. | |
After serving his time in prison, Somerville is appealing against the sentence, arguing it was "excessive". | |
"Now I have a record," he told local media after a court appearance on Friday. "I almost feel like a criminal now. Now, I have to explain this in every interview." | |
Somerville was to be one of six jurors, and it was his first time serving on a jury. | Somerville was to be one of six jurors, and it was his first time serving on a jury. |
He told local media he slept though his alarm and woke up hours later, realising he had missed the start of the court session. | |
Somerville did not call the court to let them know, he said, because he felt nervous. | Somerville did not call the court to let them know, he said, because he felt nervous. |
He said he also had to leave for his afternoon job at afterschool programmes for the city's parks and recreation department. | He said he also had to leave for his afternoon job at afterschool programmes for the city's parks and recreation department. |
He said he expected a fine, at worst. | He said he expected a fine, at worst. |
Police arrived at Somerville's home, where he lives with his grandparents and helps care for his grandfather, to issue a court summons. | Police arrived at Somerville's home, where he lives with his grandparents and helps care for his grandfather, to issue a court summons. |
He went to the hearing, later telling WPTV: "I said, 'Sir, honestly I overslept and I didn't understand the seriousness of this'." | |
Somerville also told the court he had never been arrested or sent to jail. | Somerville also told the court he had never been arrested or sent to jail. |
But Judge Kastrenakes was not swayed. | But Judge Kastrenakes was not swayed. |
"We waited almost an hour for you to come to court. You didn't come," the judge told him. | "We waited almost an hour for you to come to court. You didn't come," the judge told him. |
Somerville has also been ordered to write a "sincere" letter of apology of at least 100 words. | Somerville has also been ordered to write a "sincere" letter of apology of at least 100 words. |